Coastal Community Foundation

08/20/2026

"Our team regularly hears from families who simply don't know where they could go if they lost their housing. Keeping someone housed matters. It also reminds us that legal advocacy alone won't solve our region's housing shortage...
Housing is one of the most complicated challenges our region faces, and no one organization can solve it alone. That's why the Tri-County Housing Futures Fund is so important."

Thank you to Alissa Lietzow, CEO of Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services for penning this recent op-ed in support of Tri-County Housing Futures Fund! Collaboration with nonprofits will be essential as we work together to address our region's housing shortage.

Affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges facing the Charleston region; solving it requires a broader focus than just building more houses.

08/18/2026

"It's not uncommon for affordable housing projects to cobble together more than a half-dozen separate sources of financing, from government and nonprofit grants to favorable loan terms to tax credits. It's a time-consuming, inefficient and costly exercise, but it's often the only avenue.

Fortunately, more help is on the way. "

Meet the Tri-County Housing Futures Fund ⬇️

The Coastal Community Foundation has created a housing fund that aims to raise $100 million in five years to help build and repair housing in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

08/17/2026

Applications for the Rev. Pinckney Scholars College Readiness Program are open NOW!

This 18-month program helps to ensure students' success leading up to, during, and after college. This includes entrance exam prep, application guidance, financial aid and scholarship discovery, and career and soft skills training.

*Only* students who complete the College Readiness Program are eligible to apply to the Rev. Pinckney College Success Program, which includes a scholarship component.

Interested in the College Readiness Program? Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply the fall of their junior years of high school:

- Live in Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton or Jasper County
- First-generation college student
- Unweighted GPA of at least 2.5
- Taking courses to prepare for academic success during and after college
- Planning to attend a two-year or four-year college upon graduation
- Eligible for a Pell Grant (We will help determine this)

Applications are due OCTOBER 19. Learn more and apply here: https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/grants-scholarships/reverend-pinckney-scholars-programs/reverend-pinckney-college-readiness/

08/12/2026

Introducing Tri-County Housing Futures Fund, a $100 million impact fund dedicated to addressing the shortage of safe and affordable housing in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties.

https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/coastal-community-foundation-of-south-carolina-launches-100-million-housing-initiative-serving-charleston-berkeley-and-dorchester-counties/

07/30/2026

As we gear up for a new school year, it's a great time to reflect on the fun we had this summer. ☀️
Kids returned to Camp Happy Days for a week of confidence building, friendship, and hope.

The weeklong camp is for children and siblings who have been affected by childhood cancer. It's an opportunity for independence, improved self-esteem, teamwork, and the freedom to enjoy being a kid.

CCF proudly supports the work of Camp Happy Days through field-of-interest funds like The Four County Fund and Webb/Croft Endowment. The nonprofit also receives grants from several of our donor-advised funds.

07/28/2026

Failing septic systems are polluting our waterways. A grant from CCF's Healthy Harbor fund is supporting Charleston Waterkeeper's work to repair septic systems in the region. ⬇️

A new partnership is looking to tackle a problem that’s been quietly polluting Charleston-area waterways for years.

07/22/2026

Philanthropy is more than financial giving, it's also the gift of time and talent to benefit the community. Donating blood through American Red Cross of South Carolina is a quick and easy way to help save multiple lives in our region.

🚨 The American Red Cross has declared a national emergency blood shortage after the nation's blood supply dropped by 25% in June, leaving inventories of some of the most-needed blood types just days away from crisis levels.

As we enter the peak of hurricane season, this shortage is especially concerning. When a major disaster occurs, blood cannot be manufactured, stockpiled indefinitely, or created on demand. It must already be on the shelves before the emergency happens.

Find blood drives near you here: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive?cid=biofieldsocial&med=social&source=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawTLWuVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrZHl5V2FSS1BTRENHWnppc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuhHjFwz8K5P4beFcm8OMfwhLBs2VuO8OYduA1li6ZElDY-AbOF_E8MTu0aR_aem_4KnMml9BvbxrpeFvfBWnbw&utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0dzpoaiu

Find the nearest Red Cross blood, platelet or plasma donation center. Make a difference in someone's life, give the gift of life.

07/20/2026

"This has been a driving force of change in my life."

Whitney Anderson is a mom determined to provide for her daughter, but jobs in the administrative field weren't giving her the financial stability she needed. So for 8 weeks, she traveled 2 hours each way to participate in Driving Change, a free program where she earned her Commercial Driver's License (CDL).

Now, she has the skillset to earn triple her administrator salary and give her daughter more opportunities. She says, "This will allow me to pour into her. It will allow us to travel and the world can be her teacher."

With this accomplishment done, Whitney's dreaming bigger. Her goal is to own her own trucking company, with all women as drivers. She hopes to use her success to become a philanthropist, and reinvest in programs supporting single mothers.

CCF is proud to support this economic mobility work through our grantmaking, giving Whitney and others the chance to move into jobs with higher wages and benefits, and unlock the dream of entrepreneurship.

07/14/2026

📢 TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

This year we are excited to welcome Dr. Raj Chetty as the featured speaker. Dr. Chetty has spent his career developing scalable, data-driven solutions for communities across America to expand opportunity and achieve sustainable economic growth. He will share concrete solutions customized for the Lowcountry region to spark tangible change for generations to come.

Join us at the Charleston Music Hall on October 20 at 6 p.m. to witness the presentation audiences have described as "life-changing". Tickets are selling fast, so grab your spot today! ⬇️

https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/special-initiatives/ambassadors-of-philanthropy/

07/09/2026

The Saint Helena Gullah Community Housing Project Inc. restores and rehabilitates homes on St. Helena Island, allowing people to safely continue living on property that has been in their family for generations.

Doris Johnson has lived in her home on St. Helena Island for 52 years. In that home she has raised 5 children, and cared for her mother, mother-in-law, 12 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. The Gullah Community Housing Project first came to Doris' home because she needed a porch repair and wheelchair ramp installed to make the home more accessible for one of her grandchildren. But when the contractor arrived, they found much more work that needed to be done: an addition at risk of collapse, electrical wiring that was a fire hazard, and a bathroom and kitchen with water damage.

Instead of limiting the work to the initial wheelchair ramp project, the team from the St. Helena Gullah Community Housing Project gave Doris' home a complete renovation, making it safe for her and her family for years to come.

In the past three years, the Housing Project has completed more than 130 projects essential for the homeowner’s health and safety, like new roofs, septic systems, and wheelchair ramps, and 9 homes that required total rehab. Coastal Community Foundation has supported this work through grants from The Four County Fund and Economic Mobility Fund.